Fall is upon us!
Just as you’ve surely put away your white jeans, it is time to bench your summer lawn-care habits.
The first thing you should consider is how often you are mowing your lawn. In the summer, people often mow their lawns once or twice a week depending on rainfall and other factors. In the fall, grass should be mowed every 10-14 days, which is much less often than in the summer. This is for a number of reasons, but it’s primarily to keep your grass long enough to brave the wintertime. If you happen to cut it too short, it can make your lawn susceptible to fungus when it snows. It also can’t hurt to fertilize your lawn before the winter finally lands in Northern Virginia. As far as your sprinklers go, make sure you either turn them off or reduce how much water you are giving your lawn depending on how warm our Northern Virginia Fall continues to be. As for preparing for those cookouts after the winter leaves us, make sure you double-check your lawn for areas of standing water. This tends to be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and can be prevented early by dispersing water from these areas. Another pointer is to avoid removing snow from your grass. Contrary to popular belief, snow is actually an insulator for your lawn and removing it may do more harm than good. So, next time you plow or shovel on those cold winter mornings, leave the grass alone!
Looking to step up your lawn game? Who isn’t?! Many people aerate during the Spring, but that’s not the only time you can aerate. Fall is a great time to aerate your lawn and give it that extra boost for the springtime. If you feel like your lawn doesn’t need aeration, but has a few bald spots that need some touching-up, you can make a rather easy DIY project out of it. Simply purchase some lawn repair mix, loosen up the soil in the bald spots, and spread the mixture evenly until covered. This is a great way to fix those minor imperfections that keep your lawn from being the best it can be. Something you may not know about the fall is that it is the best time to kill those pesky weeds and dandelions. You might be wondering why that is. It is because weeds are trying to absorb as much energy as possible during this time of year, making it the optimal time to hit them with weed killer and say goodbye once and for all.
Go grab your fleece and a football and enjoy our Northern Virginia Fall on your healthy lawn. And, hey…we were only kidding about the white jeans. That rule went out with hoop skirts!
Sources:
https://www.thespruce.com/prepare-your-lawn-for-winter-4105727
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/lawn-garden/how-to/a8031/fall-lawn-care-6-steps-to-take-right-now-12437723/